Installation and Usage of sensors-alarm

Author:  Michiel Blotwijk <Michiel.Blotwijk@Altiplano.Be>
Contributor:  Altiplano bvba
Release supported: SME 5.5/5.6
License: GPL
Last updated: 2003/08/18 

 

Most Up-to-date version can be found here: http://www.contribs.org/contribs/mblotwijk/HowToGuides/sensors-alarm.htm

 

Problem:  You want to monitor your system temperatures (CPU, system, SouthBridge) and take automatic action if certain thresholds are exceeded.

Solution:  sensors-alarm monitors the temperatures of your system and warns you if they get too high. If the temperature reaches dangerous levels, sensors-alarm warns all users connected to the server and shuts-down the system in a clean way.

 

INSTALLATION: 

STEP 1: Install lm-sensors

Follow Ian Well's excellent how-to for lm-sensors from http://www.wellsi.com/sme/lms/lm_sensors.html

STEP 2: Install sensors-alarm

Download the latest version of sensors-alarm from http://www.contribs.org/contribs/mblotwijk/Contribs/sensors-alarm/.

Install the tools as 'root':

[root@hogwarts /]# rpm -Uvh  e-smith-sensors-alarm-*.rpm

This installs the tool in /usr/bin and creates an entry in crontab.

STEP 3:  Install smb-wall (optional)

Download smb-wall from http://www.contribs.org/contribs/mblotwijk/MiscellaneousTools/

Copy smb-wall to /usr/bin  and make it root-executable.

[root@hogwarts /]# cp ./smb-wall /usr/bin
[root@hogwarts /]# chown root:root /usr/bin/smb-wall
[root@hogwarts /]# chmod 770 /usr/bin/smb-wall

 

STEP 4: Install beep (optional)

Download beep from http://www.contribs.org/contribs/mblotwijk/MiscellaneousTools/

[root@hogwarts /]# rpm -Uvh beep-*.386.rpm

 

USAGE:

sensors-alarm will check every minute the output of lm-sensors for excessive system temperatures. If any of the temperature readings exceeds the warning level (hysteresis), a warning message will be sent to 'admin'. As soon as the temperature crosses the alarm threshold, the server will be shut down in a clean way.

If 'beep' was installed, alarm bells will ring to alert the administrator for impending disasters.

If 'smb-wall' was installed, all windows clients that accept 'win-pop' messages will be warned before the system shuts down.